Cathedral College (former Christian Brothers College)
William Wilkinson Wardell was an ecclesiastical architect, who emigrated to Australia from England in 1858. Among his iconic designs in Melbourne are St Patrick's Cathedral, Government House and the Gothic bank (now belonging to ANZ) on Collins Street. During his tenure as Director-General of public works in Melbourne (1861 - 1878) Wardell designed a three-storey monastery and school building for the Christian Brothers, a religious congregation founded in the early 19th century.Wardell's picturesque, bluestone Gothic-Revival building is noted for its fine composition, including its monastery wing with top-floor chapel, the deep buttresses of its classroom wing, and the still-intact iron palisade. It took three years to construct and was finally opened in January 1871. A verandah extension was added in 1902 and minor alterations, including painting of the stone window and door mouldings, have kept it in remarkably good condition. As well as being the oldest Christian Brothers' school in Australia, it is also the last survivor of the early group of schools that once operated around Eastern Hill.
It was from this college that Brother Patrick Treacy and his colleagues expanded their influence across Victoria and interstate, thereby advancing the Catholic education system across Australia.
Location: 256-278 Victoria Parade, East Melbourne
